Reciprocity
by divine one
Summary: sometimes, you're oblivious to what's right before your eyes. and sometimes, you're afraid that the one you love doesn't love you back. and sometimes, the world makes everything work out... just the way it should.... Tosh and Owen. M - NC17 eventually
1. Coming Around

Author Devylish  
Fandom Torchwood  
Title Reciprocity  
Words 1376  
Chap. 1 of 2 or 3  
Pairing Tosh/Owen maybe some Jack/Ianto  
Rating (K ) PG this part will venture into NC17  
Spoilers If you've seen season one you're golden.  
Warning Language  
Disclaimer Don't own it. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.  
Author's Note Unbeta'd  
Author's Note2 **First venture into Torchwood Fic … use me kindly**!

TOTOTOTOTOTOTOTO

"Hey Tosh." Owen walked into the hub tucking his shirt into his jeans.

"Good Morning." She kept her head bent over her keyboard, refusing to follow his passage through the hub with her eyes as she normally did. 'I'm done mooning over him like a lovesick cow. No more!'

While he noted her response was a little curt, Owen brushed it aside, comfortable with the knowledge that Tosh was aware of him – per usual. It wasn't until later in the day when he stood in the autopsy bay studying the Karflo aliens' skeletal system that he truly began to notice that something was off. Something about Tosh.

He'd just amputated the Karflo's hand and was studying the powerful wrist when he heard the faint tinkle of Tosh's laughter. Her smiles were common, her laughter…, rare. Cocking his ears he focused on the conversation that was going on in the main area of the hub.

Tosh was talking to Ianto.

In and of itself, that wasn't a huge deal… but it suddenly occurred to Owen that he hadn't had more than a 'hello' from Tosh all day long; and here she was talking… and laughing with Ianto.

Owen put down the hand he held and stripped off his gloves. Edging closer to the steps he strained his ears again. What were they talking about?

TOTOTOTOTOTOTOTO

"I don't know Ianto, I think that sometimes when you like someone you need to accept that those feelings aren't reciprocated."

"And sometimes those feelings are reciprocated; and the person you're dealing with is just blind, or… **and**… stupid. It just takes some of us a little longer than others to 'come around'."

Tosh bowed her head and then impulsively gave Ianto a hug. "Thank you. Thank you for listening." Her words were muffled against his chest as Ianto wrapped his arms around Tosh's slight form and hugged her back.

"No problem Tosh… Owen will come around yet. Don't you worry." He whispered the words comfortingly.

'Tosh and Ianto?!' Owen peered at the couple from his spot on the stairs; trying to wrap his mind around the scene playing out in front of him. 'Tosh and Ianto!'

Before he could stop himself, Owen climbed out of the lab and called out to her "Tosh…"

The blush and look of embarrassment on her face as she pulled away from Ianto and turned to face him sealed the scene for Owen. 'Tosh and Ianto….'

"Yes Owen?" Tosh held herself, wrapping her arms protectively around her waist. She wondered if he had heard her conversation with Ianto. She watched for a sign… some look of teasing or anger in his eyes to give a way the fact that he'd overheard her admitting to Ianto that she had a… a 'crush' on Owen. She looked, but she saw nothing. There was no look. No sound. He just stood there looking at her; his eyes hooded.

"Owen?"

"Yeah?"

"You wanted me?" She pressed, a look of confusion filling her face.

"Eh? What? Oh, yeah," Owen lifted his hand to the back of his head, scratching the nape of his neck while he dug for an excuse; a reason for calling her name. A reason for suddenly wanting her to focus on him again. "Erh, yeah, any reports on the Karflo poison yet?"

Tosh's eyes widened, "I sent those down to you this morning." She glanced at Ianto who backed her up.

"I brought them down with your morning tea."

"Oh. Oh, yeah. Right. Well, I'll just be, uh, going back downstairs then." He turned and headed down the cement steps, throwing a belated "Thanks Tosh" over his shoulder.

"Did Owen just thank me?" Tosh turned to Ianto.

"He did indeed."

"Well… that's interesting."

With a smile Ianto responded, "It is indeed." Placing his hand on her shoulder he added, "See what I mean about 'coming around'?"

Tosh smiled and shook her head, one chat with Ianto, and one half a moment's notice from Owen wasn't going to change her mind.

She needed to stop looking for signs from Owen. Stop hoping.

Setting her face in her patented 'ready for business' look, Tosh turned away from the stairs Owen had descended, and headed back to her computers.

TOTOTOTOTOTOTOTO

"Bugger!" Owen stared blindly at the Karflo poison report. "Way to look like a complete idiot Harper!" Dropping the document carelessly he stared at the corpse lying on the metal slab before him. With a sniff, he gathered himself and headed back up into the hub.

Once there, he moved around, picking up and putting down odds and ends. And all the time, he watched Tosh out of the corner of his eye. He did this for twenty minutes… busying himself with doing absolutely nothing except for covertly watching Toshiko Sato.

She never looked up from her computer. Her eyes remained glued to the screen… with the dark fall of her hair hiding one side of her face.

She didn't look up when he mumbled and cleared his throat needlessly.

She didn't look up when he 'accidentally' dropped the thermagilator.

She didn't look at him until he was standing directly behind her looking at her monitor.

"Is there something you need Owen?" Tosh turned, silently cursing herself for her inability to ignore him as she'd promised herself. But, with him standing so close, and constantly floating around her….

"Yes Owen, or is there something you 'want'?" This last question echoed Tosh's and was issued by Jack who stood leaning against the doorway of his office.

Both Tosh and Owen looked up at him in surprise.

Tosh lifted her hand to her heart. "I hate it when you do that Jack!"

"Do what?" He pushed away from the doorframe and headed toward the muddled Owen and oblivious Tosh.

"Silently sneak upon people." With a smile she added, "your next gift from me will be a cowbell…, promise me you'll wear it?"

Jack placed his hands on her shoulders and glanced at her computer screen – curious as to whether there was anything there to gain Owen's attention…. Nope. Standard reports running, Rift Log, monitors of Torchwood entrances. Nothing to garner Mr. Harper's undivided attention. Which meant, Owen was hounding Tosh for another reason.

Jack smiled to himself. Ahh… young love.

"Do you care WHERE I tie the bell Tosh?" He grinned saucily.

"Jack!" She smiled and blushed.

"Well, you can think about **where** I might tie that bell this evening when you and Owen are on stakeout."

"A stake—"

"Jack –"

Owen and Tosh started simultaneously.

Jack lifted his hand. "I'll get the details to you later," 'when I've made them up,' "but plan on it being an all-nighter."

Tosh groaned and dropped her head onto her keyboard. Stakeouts were the bane of any law enforcement group's existence, but stakeouts with Owen…. Tosh spent all of her time pretending to be watching her 'toys', when in reality she was hyperaware of his presence. And he… Owen, spent all of his time being completely UNAWARE of her existence.

She tried to wiggle out of the assignment, "Jack, I was going to work on cataloguing those Amertha files tonight – I know you've wanted to take a look at them, umm, can't Gwen go with Owen?"

Owen didn't want to go on a stakeout anymore than the next guy, but he didn't want to pawned off like the proverbial redheaded stepchild either. What the fuck!? Why didn't Tosh want to…? Normally she… well, not fell all over him – she was too classy for that – but she normally wanted to at least be where he was. Even if it was squashed into the back of a Torchwood van.

"Maybe if you stopped mucking about with Ianto all day long, you'd have time to get your catalogues done during the day." Owen spat out and stomped to the door before either Tosh or Jack could respond.

Tosh, for the second time that day, was left questioning Owen's words and actions. "Whatever did he mean by that?" She glanced up at Jack who had a perplexingly big grin on his face.

"Men," Jack said with a pat on Tosh's head, "it's nice to see we aren't the only obliviously blind little bastards in the world."

Tosh stared at Jack's retreating back.


	2. Way Too Many Eyes

Author Devylish  
Fandom Torchwood  
Title Reciprocity  
Words 1164  
Chap. 2 (of 3 or 4) Way Too Many Eyes  
Pairing Tosh/Owen maybe some Jack/Ianto  
Rating (K+) PG  
Spoilers If you've seen season one you're golden.  
Warning Language  
Disclaimer Don't own it. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.  
Author's Note Unbeta'd  
Author's Note2 First venture into Torchwood Fic … use me kindly!

TOTOTOTOTOTOTOTO

**  
"**Are you going to eat the rest of your chips?" Owen's voice broke into the silence.

"Hmm? Oh, no." Tosh handed the greasy bag to Owen and buried her head back into her laptop.

They were seated in the dark, on the second floor of a parking structure overlooking the shipping yards. Moonlight reflected off of the water and cast strange shadows on the wharf.

Owen and Tosh cocooned in the Torchwood truck were each consumed in their own reflective shadows.

Ostensibly, they were both focused on the task Jack had set before them: watching the wharf for any signs of Daeph Orbs. Yeah… ostensibly, that's what each of them was doing, but reality is often far… far away from 'ostensible'.

Tosh had one eye on her laptop, which was monitoring the wharfs' temperature readings, and one eye on the research data she'd managed to scrape up on Daeph Orbs….

And she miraculously had yet **another** eye on Owen. On Owen's short kicky hair, his dark come-hither broody eyes, his perfectly quirky mouth….

Owen, on the other hand, was spreading his eyes between observing the bumblefuck boring wharf, reading the football magazine he'd brought with him, and watching the quiet movements of Toshiko Sato.

He found himself realizing that the car was filled with her fragrance. She had a soft, earthy, cherry aroma…. The scent of almonds. He was betting the scent came from her hair; that dark flowing shield.

All and all, in the confines of the dark truck that night, there were far too many eyes doing things that they 'shouldn't' be doing.

TOTOTOTOTOTOTOTO

Tosh scrolled lower to scrutinize the information on the webpage she was reviewing. Or rather, the webpage she was **trying** to review. Seriously, ignoring Owen was next to impossible; it was like trying to ignore the night. It was all around her… unavoidable.

But she had to avoid it… ignore it. Ignore him. Or she'd definitely get lost.

"So, yeah, this officially sucks." Owen broke into the silence again.

"Rather." She smiled in his direction before forcing herself to turn back to her computer.

'Rather'? 'Rather'?! 'That's it? Where was the babbling, blushing Tosh?' Owen didn't know how much more of this 'new Tosh' he could take. Patience had never been his strong point and now… now…. He shook his head and cleared his mind.

Beer. A beer would be good now; a nice dark ale. Owen closed his eyes; he could almost taste the brew. He settled back in his seat and imagined himself sitting at the worn, wooden bar of a local pub; watching the pretty girls come through the doors, sitting at tables, walking past him with a smile. He could see the wave of their dark hair flashing as they moved through the room. He could even envision catching their eyes, their dark beautiful eyes; set in flawless, smooth, nutmeg buttery skin. Skin very much like Tosh's.

"Owen?!" Tosh pressed his shoulder lightly.

"Hmm… yeah?"

"I was asking if you wanted to maybe sleep in turns?" She eyed him carefully. Owen definitely wasn't acting normally. He was more distracted than usual. Distracted… or bored. 'Oh bloody hell', she was boring him!

The thought hit her in the gut.

It wasn't as if she was normally all that exciting or… or vibrant. She wasn't like Gwen. All shocking blues and reds and yellows. No. Toshiko Sato was anything but neon. She was grey and tan and the faded edges of all of the mixed colors in the world. She knew this. And she was comfortable with the fact. Most of the time. But today, tonight, damnit, she wanted to be more. Or at least, she didn't want Owen to think of her as 'less'. And boring was less. Definitely less.

Owen watched a play of emotions race across Tosh's face; they moved so quickly he was unable to label them. They flitted through her eyes one after the other until they all just stopped and he was left facing something akin to anger from Tosh.

"Sorry, eh, sure, we can sleep in rounds. Umm, why don't you take first shift?"

"Maybe in a bit, I'm not actually tired yet."

'I'm done chasing him. But I'm not going to just let him think that Gwen or Diane or any of the others are more 'brilliant' than me, just because they're shinier.' Tosh closed her laptop and pushed it on to the dashboard. Unbuckling the seatbelt that she hadn't bothered to remove when they'd arrived at their stakeout an hour or so ago, she shifted in her seat so that she was facing Owen.

"It's not true you know."

"Huh?" Suave Owen, very, very suave.

"I said, it's not true."

"Okay." He quirked his eye at her, "and we'd be talking about… what?"

"That glasses make girls unattractive."

"Did I jump into the middle of a conversation without knowing it?"

Tosh reached up and pulled off her glasses. "A lot of men find women in glasses to be quite attractive." She ran her fingers along one stem. "I remember when I was at university, I had these horribly unfashionable thick rimmed glasses. I really only needed them for reading purposes; probably could have worn contacts, but finances being what they were… glasses were my only option." She folded her eyeglasses and tucked them into the V of her black button-down shirt.

Owen followed the movement of her hands with his eyes. 'That shouldn't be sexy. Tosh folding away her glasses shouldn't be… sexy.' He dragged his eyes back up to her lips.

"Anyway, I felt horrible about them. Absolutely certain that no man would be… interested in a girl who wore clunky, black glasses. But I didn't give up; I let a few friends talk me into going to a pub with them one night; it had been a long, long week and a little alcohol was more than called for."

She flashed a small smile at him.

"I wasn't at the bar with the girls for more than twenty minutes before a cute bloke came up to our table. I admit, I thought he was going to hit on Lee, or Ahna, but no…." The smile was thrown at him again.

"He asked me to dance…. It was a slow… jazzy… sexy song. I've always loved music, but I'd never thought of any songs as being particularly 'sexy'. That song however… mmmmmm." Tosh stretched in her seat, recalling the sounds, the sensations.

Owen swallowed hard and shifted in his seat, which was suddenly, not so comfortable.

"Before the song was done, he'd kissed me. Really, really kissed me." She looked Owen in the eyes. "I went home with him that night. One of the best evenings of my life..." she added with a slight giggle, "I kept my glasses on too."

'I may not be neon, but I CAN shine,' she thought with a grin.

Owen breathed deeply as Tosh gave him a 'you'll-never-know-how-good-it-is' smile. 'What.The.Fuck!'


	3. Frustration

Author Devylish  
Fandom Torchwood  
Title Reciprocity  
Words 1086  
Chap. 3 (of 4 or 5): Frustration  
Pairing Tosh/Owen maybe some Jack/Ianto  
Rating (K+) PG  
Spoilers If you've seen season one you're golden.  
Warning Language  
Disclaimer Don't own it. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.  
Author's Note Unbeta'd  
Author's Note2 First venture into Torchwood Fic … use me kindly!

TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO

"Your coffee Sir."

"… Jack."

Ianto eyed Jack silently before placing the last cup of coffee for the night on the desk next to his boss. "Off duty, perhaps Sir."

Jack looked up at his lover and quietly shook his head. Ianto had his own code of morals…. His devotion to that code, along with his devotion to Torchwood… and to Jack, were at least part of the reason Jack was attracted to the boy.

Picking up his coffee Jack settled back in his chair and changed the topic. "Any word from the lovebirds?"

Ianto's smile was immediate. "They've been making their hourly check ins Sir." Ianto picked an empty cup off of Jack's desk. "And if I'm not mistaken, there's a bit of frustration in both of their voices."

"Ahh… sweet frustration." Jack grinned. "Remember it Ianto?"

Ianto raised his eyebrow questioningly.

"The feeling of frustration…? When you're just on the edge…? When you know, somewhere inside of you, what you want more than anything, but you're confused… torn by those other little things in your life – pride, fear…." He took a sip of coffee. "It's: 'The way things always have been' vs 'what you want… what you need.' Do you remember how that balancing act… that inner fight feels Ianto? The frustration?" Jack was staring at Ianto, his eyes twinkling suggestively.

"I do indeed recall that feeling Sir. Although, it's my personal opinion that taking the leap off of the edge – flying, as it were – makes the frustration worth the while."

"Oh, the leap most definitely makes it all worth it." Jack leaned forward against his desk.

"Is it my place or yours tonight?"

"I believe it's my place Sir."

"Well then, I say we pack it in, and then um… 'pack it in'."

The grin… the grin was so deliciously naughty.

"I'll just finish the dishes Sir, while you finish your coffee, and close up." Ianto moved to the door but turned around just as he reached it, "Daeph Orbs Sir?"

Another grin. "Harmless creatures from a little planet a couple of galaxies away. They like our planet's heat… for mating purposes. So they come, mate… then, swim upstream… or fly back home as it were."

"You sent Owen and Tosh after harmless, mating aliens?""

"Seemed like a good idea at the time. It forces them to spend some time together, one-on-one. And now that Tosh isn't so obviously trailing after Owen, and his interest is piqued…. I thought a little push towards some… up close frustration… might be good for both of them."

Ianto smiled and shook his head as he started to close Jack's office door.

"What? Don't you agree with my plan Ianto?"

"Oh, yes Sir. I'm just wondering which of them will be the one to leap over the edge first."

TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO

'One of the best evenings of her life?' Owen was settled in the back seat of the truck, his eyes nearly closed… allowing him to appear asleep while he, instead, was wide awake; wired with pictures of Tosh dancing… and then **DANCING** with some anonymous stranger. He couldn't get his imagination to stop moving… running… with thoughts of Tosh, smiling… rubbing her body against… being touched by some… some… wanker. And it was 'one of the best evenings of her life'?

Not Tosh.

Not his Tosh.

Not that he could actually lay claim to her.

Owen peered at Tosh. Her face was bathed in the blue-white light of her laptop. She was tapping on the keyboard in short bursts; concentrating, a small frown creasing her forehead.

She bent her head to one shoulder, then the other, then slowly rolled her head to the back, a small moan escaping her lips as she relieved the strain that was building in her neck.

That – none of it – should be sexy. But, it was.

TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO

'Stupid Tosh! Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Did you really need to share one of your past… sexual experiences… with _Owen_?!' It had seemed like a good idea at the time – a way to show him that she was more that 'just Tosh' – computer geek extraordinaire; a way to show him that she was a woman. But now, she was rethinking her decision.

After her little story, he'd hemmed and hawed in a very 'un-Owenish' way for a few seconds before throwing out: "Erm, yeah, you're right. Women wearing glasses, um, can be sexy." He'd run his hand over the back of his neck and nodded his head to the back of the truck.

"Think maybe I will get some shuteye now."

So now, here they were; him asleep in the back, and her still dividing her attention between the wharf, her computer and Owen. None of which were making her particularly happy.

The wharf was bothering her because there was nothing going on there. No signs of anything alien or abnormal. Unless one counted the beautiful full moon shining down as abnormal.

Owen was bothering her because, apparently, that was the only reason for his existence. Her ability to focus on other things just seemed to disappear whenever he was near. And the 2.5 metres of space allotted by the inside of the Torchwood van… yeah… that was definitely placing Owen much too near. No one had ever had the ability to do disrupt her thought patterns, her ability to focus this way. No one but Owen.

And then there was her laptop. Tosh tapped on the keyboard a few times, trying to pull up information from the Torchwood databases… nothing. She was able to find more information regarding Daeph Orbs from Google then she was from Torchwood's files. Computer anomalies irritated her; almost as much as Owen did.

She sighed silently then closed her eyes and slowly stretched the muscles of her neck – loosening the kink that had been building there for most of the night.

Reaching into the driver's seat for her cell, Tosh dialed Torchwood HQ to record their hourly check in. No one would be there at this time – all of them would be at their homes, curled up in the arms of their loved ones. Jack with Ianto and Gwen with Rhys.

Tosh studied the wharf briefly, glanced at her seemingly useless laptop, then turned and looked at Owen.

She wondered what it would be like to be in his arms. To have him wrap himself around her. For him to want her.


	4. Let Go

Author Devylish  
Fandom Torchwood  
Title Reciprocity  
Words 858  
Chap. 4: Let Go  
Pairing Tosh/Owen maybe some Jack/Ianto  
Rating (K+) PG 13  
Spoilers If you've seen season one you're golden.  
Warning Language  
Disclaimer Don't own it. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.  
Author's Note Unbeta'd  
Author's Note2 First venture into Torchwood Fic … use me kindly!

**TOtoTOto TOtoTOto TOtoTOto TOtoTOto**

Owen woke up to the sound of a door being slammed shut. He groaned in response and attempted to figure out why his body felt so fucking cramped and achy. A few seconds of digging through his hazy memory woke him up completely. He was scrunched, uncomfortably, in the back of the Torchwood truck – hence the discomfort. And he was IN the Torchwood truck because he was on a stakeout. With Tosh.

_Tosh_.

Owen opened his eyes and struggled into a sitting position. Looking out the passenger-side window he saw Tosh's slender frame silhouetted by moonlight. She was standing at the edge of the parking structure, her arms wrapped around her waist as she stared at the water.

Quietly opening the car door Owen called out to her, "Tosh?"

Nothing.

He tried her again, this time a little louder. "Oi, Tosh. Anything wrong? Any evil orb sightings?"

And again with the no response.

With a sigh, Owen tentatively climbed out of the truck and moved toward her.

"Under an evil, alien induced spell? Lost in thought?" He tapped her on the shoulder then added, when she turned around and he could see her face, "Or, just bloody well pissed off."

"Good. You're awake. I'll just take my turn then." Her words were clipped and she kept her eyes averted from his.

**TOtoTOto TOtoTOto TOtoTOto TOtoTOto**

Tosh stepped around Owen and moved back to the truck she'd vacated just seconds ago. He was right… she was pissed. Pissed at him… and herself… and the whole damn situation. Her whole: ignore Owen and move on with your life plan was NOT working. She'd found herself watching him while he slept… for two hours! Just staring at him…. Watching him breathe; studying the rise and fall of his chest… the faint smile that broke across his face as he dreamed.

'How do you stand a chance against a man who fascinates you even when he sleeps?'

You don't stand a chance. The realization rocked her. She might very well never be free of… of this thing she had for Owen. And she quite probably would never have him.

Unable to breathe Tosh had slammed her way out of the car, taking in long, deep, lungfuls of the cool night air as she stared at the moon.

And then she'd heard his voice calling out her name. 'Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn. I will not be infatuated with Owen Harper anymore!'

"_Under an evil, alien induced spell? Lost in thought?" _Stupid, unfeeling, jackass. She spun around as he tapped her on the shoulder.

**TOtoTOto TOtoTOto TOtoTOto TOtoTOto**

"_Good. You're awake. I'll just take my turn then."_ What The Fuck!?

What the fuck did I do to deserve that tone? Owen threw his hands up in defeat. Then he thought better of it. 'No. I didn't do anything… this time!'

Jogging the few steps necessary to catch up with Tosh, he grabbed her arm just before she reached the truck.

"For fucks sake, what the hell is your problem?"

"Owen let go of me!" Tosh turned around to face him, doing her best to jerk her arm out of his grip.

"Not until you tell me what bloody bug crawled up your arse."

"What… what bug? Up my…?!" She sputtered before finally pulling her arm free of his grasp. Using both of her hands she pushed against his chest. "You, you shit! You're the bloody bug! You're to blame for… for everything! Damnit all! I can't get any peace, **or** any reaction from you, and I'm damn well stuck with you as co-worker and it's just not… let go of me Owen… please."

Owen watched Tosh's eyes light with sparks of anger as she poked her finger in his chest; she had spirit. It wasn't always visible… always on the surface, like it was with Gwyn, nor did it lace all of her words and behavior as it had with Diane, but it was there, and it was amazing.

"… _and I'm damn well stuck with you as co-worker and it's just not… let go of me Owen… please." _Owen captured Tosh's arms in his hands and quickly guided her backwards until her back was pressed against the door of the truck. With a glance at her eyes, he lowered his head to hers and hesitantly pressed his lips to hers.

All questions, all hesitancy, left him when his skin touched hers. Her lips were silk and pliant. Her body was giving, and at the same time, demanding. And somewhere, in the back of his mind, he wondered how someone so small could surround him – his senses – so completely.

Their kiss deepened as his hands moved from her arms, to her waist and hip, more possessively settling her frame against his.

Her arms freed from his grasp, and his hands placed in more pleasing locations, Tosh lifted her hands to Owen's neck, threading her fingers through the short hair located there. 'I'm kissing… and being kissed… by Owen Harper. Owen! My Owen.' Tosh melted into his arms a little more.

When they finally separated for air, Owen pressed his forehead against Tosh's, and she inhaled shallowly before breathlessly whispering, "Bugger!"


	5. Up For A Challenge

Author Devylish  
Fandom Torchwood  
Title Reciprocity  
Words 1758  
Chap. 5: Up For A Challenge  
Pairing Tosh/Owen maybe some Jack/Ianto  
Rating R this chap?  
Spoilers If you've seen season one you're golden.  
Warning Language  
Disclaimer Don't own it. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.  
Author's Note Unbeta'd  
Author's Note2 First venture into Torchwood Fic … use me kindly!  
Author's Note3 Thanks for sticking with me through the long waits between chappies!

**tototototototototototototo**

"Bugger?" Owen held Tosh's head between his hands, his thumbs caressing her cheekbones as they both caught their breath.

Her eyes fluttered open and up and she looked him in the eyes. _Who had she been kidding? She'd never be over him. And now, now that they'd kissed, and he was looking at her in that dazed, heady way, she was royally screwed. _She closed her eyes again."Umm, yes, most definitely bugger."

Owen chuckled and stepped a bit closer to Tosh, his thigh resting between her legs. Pressing his lips to her forehead in a quick kiss, he smiled and lifted his right hand to her hair; running his fingers through the parted silken veil. "You're amazing," he said with a smile.

She swatted him on the chest with the flat of her hand. "Don't. Don't be sweet! Don't placate me, or, or --," she lifted her eyes to his. "I won't stand a chance if you're sweet to me. Be stubborn, and snarky and, and sarcastic. Sarcastic would work."

Owen laughed wholeheartedly. "I said the first thing that came to my mind." He moved his hands to her arms, rubbing them in the early morning chill. "I seem to be full out of snark today, but if you give me a second, I'll see if I can find something stubborn or sarcastic to say."

Tosh groaned in frustration and stamped her foot. "This is not fair!"

"What's not fair?" He slipped his hands to her waist, pulling her a little bit closer. Suddenly, distance between the two of them didn't seem like all that good of an idea.

"How am I suppose to resist you when you're being sweet and cute?"

"One, I don't bloody do cute; I do manly, or sexy. But not cute. Two," his voice lowered, "why resist?"

She hit his chest again. "Because!" Tosh dipped her head. "Because, I've… I've liked you for longer than I care to remember. And until today, you wouldn't have known I was alive unless I turned up **dead** on your exam table."

Owen used a finger to tilt up Tosh's chin. "I've always known you were alive, Tosh."

"So, what? You just didn't give a damn?!" A spark blazed in her eyes.

"Tosh, I'm not right for you. We – despite where this seems to be going right now – we're not right for one another. You know it. And I know it. I've always known it."

"You're not right for me?"

"I," He dropped his hands from her. "I'm not 'right' for anyone. I've come to grips with that. I mean, what? My most brilliant relationships have been with a woman just slightly more twisted than me, and a woman born at the beginning of the last century?" He ran his hand through the back of his short cropped hair. "I've spent my career racking up a shag scorecard that could outdo Don Juan's. I'm **not** the stuff that dreams are made of, Tosh."

"I'll tell my bloody subconscious that."

He sighed, "Tosh."

"What? WHAT!? You think I don't know that you're a bloody git!?" She glanced around the empty parking structure and lowered her voice. "You can be the meanest, most thoughtless ass I've ever met. And I've met Jack, so, that's saying something!"

The force of her words backed him up, one step, then another.

"But, I understand why you do what you do. I understand the snark. I understand that the heartless actions don't mean that you're actually missing a heart." Tosh closed the distance between them and placed her hand, gently, against his chest, over his heart. "You're scared."

She could visibly see him bristle at her words.

"Nothing scares me, Tosh. Not a bloody thing." He turned to humor. "Well, nothing except for Albaroth's… oh and those green things we chased down last year, the ones with the purple tails. I'll admit, those were mean, ugly mother-fuckers."

"Right," she ignored his attempt at humor, "Nothing scares you except for emotions. And taking a chance on them."

He opened his mouth to protest.

"Did you never wonder WHY you chose women who were, for lack of a better word, wrong for you? Unavailable… crazy?" She pushed on, ignoring his attempt to interrupt. "It's because you're afraid you, prat!"

He was silent.

"You're afraid." She poked his chest. "You've always been afraid."

"For argument's sake, Ms. Sato, let's just say you're right. Let's say that I'm emotionally afraid. That still proves my bloody point." He walked around her, heading back to the truck. "For fuck's sake, Tosh, do you need a man who's stinted and, and can't bloody give you what you want? What you deserve?"

"What I want – **lucky me** – is you." She trailed him to the truck and tentatively braced her forehead against his shoulders, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I have nothing to give you Tosh." Owen hated the strain that ran through his voice.

"A second ago, you didn't even know what I wanted."

He turned around in her arms, staring down into her chocolate eyes. "Yeah well, two minutes ago, you didn't know what my motivations were either."

Tosh graced her hand along Owen's jaw before smoothing her thumb along his lower lip. His quirky, beautiful lips.

"How about we agree that we're both royally fucked up, as evidenced by the type of work that we do, and," she took a deep breath, "And we agree to be royally fucked up, together?"

Owen looked down at Tosh. He didn't deserve her. But, that didn't mean he didn't want her. And it didn't mean that somewhere in the back of his head he wasn't dreaming of the possibility of 'them' becoming a reality.

Tosh stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Owen's neck. "Are you ready to take a chance, Mr. Harper?"

He grinned like a frightened child, before blowing out a quick, strengthening breath of air. "Always up for a challenge Ms. Sato."

Owen took Tosh's lips in a kiss; a demanding, giving, royally emotional kiss.

**tototototototototototototo**

In case anyone is curious, the back seats of the Torchwood truck are NOT meant for undressing in. Or for lying down in. And they most definitely are not meant for fondling the goods of one's coworkers. No, the back seats of the Torchwood truck are NOT meant for any of these things.

But Tosh and Owen, they were suddenly, all about embracing challenges – and body parts.

Somehow Owen managed to pull the back door of the truck open without letting loose of Tosh's waist or her lips. His success was probably due to the fact that she was working whole heartedly on the same plan.

Once the door was open, Owen edged his way onto the seat. As he moved backwards, Tosh paced him, climbing almost simultaneously with him into the back of the truck.

"Bloody hell!" He mumbled as they closed the door behind them, his lips against hers, his hands pushing and pulling at her jacket.

"Bloody hell?" She pulled back and made short order of her jacket as she kneeled, half-bent over him.

"Hmm?" He breathed in her scent as he moved his lips along her jaw. Her jaw, why the hell hadn't he noticed how beautiful her jaw was before?

"You said 'bloody hell'?" Tosh worked at the belt buckle wrapped around his hips.

"I did? Oh. Yeah, I did. Umm, I think I'm sitting on the seatbelt thingy."

Tosh mewed excitedly as she successfully undid the buckle and stripped the belt through the loops of his jeans. Then his words connected in her head. Leaning forward over him, her hands on his shoulders, Tosh breathed in the scent of his cologne and smiled. "Poor Owen, I bet that hurts… want me to kiss it and make it all better?"

Owen stared up at what was, quite possibly, the most seductive smile he'd ever seen – on anyone. It made his breath stop. And it made his cock surge. Matching her grin for grin, he cupped her face in his hands and pulled her down to him, "suddenly, I'm feeling a lot of pain, in a lot of places. You may have to kiss a number of spots to truly make me feel better."

Just before their lips touched, Tosh whispered, "I thought you'd never bloody ask."

**tototototototototototototo**

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Gwen rushed into the hub dropping her bags and stripping off her spring coat as she made her way toward her computer. "The alarm didn't go off. And then I had to let Rh –" she paused as soon as she realized there was no one in the work area. Glancing at her watch Gwen verified that she was indeed late and that it was 730 a.m. "Well where the hell is everyone?"

She turned as she heard the hub door rolling open.

"I'm just saying, Ianto, the full-size mattresses are just – Gwen!"

She leaned back against Tosh's desk. "And why are you two late? Or should I even bother asking?"

Jack winked at her as Ianto blushed and threw out his own question. "Coffee anyone?"

"Yes!"

"God yes! I'm fagged!" Gwen settled in Tosh's chair as Ianto moved off.

Crossing her arms over her chest she glanced around the hub, peeling her ears. The only sounds she heard were from Ianto moving off toward the kitchen, and Jack tapping at a computer keyboard.

Turning herself to Tosh's keyboard she accessed Torchwood's video link screens and verified what she'd already been pretty certain of, "Does anyone know how 'I' ended up being the first person here?" She spun in the chair and faced Jack. "Neither Tosh nor Owen is in yet."

Jack grinned in her direction, tapped another key on the keyboard then chuckled. Pressing the intercom button that sat next to him he spoke. "Last call-in was at 1 a.m. Ianto! I said before 2 a.m., I win! And you'll be paying up with, erh," he remembered Gwen's presence and glanced at her. "Suffice it to say, you'll be paying up!"

Jack switched off the com and smiled his brilliant 'I know something you don't know' smile.

"Jack?" Gwen watched him turn and walk into his office. "Jack!"

His door closed.

"I missed something good, didn't I? Crap! I hate it when I miss something good." She mumbled quietly before flinging herself out of the chair and flying up to Jack's office. "Jack! You might as well tell me now! You know I'll find out!" She hammered on his door. "Jack!!"


End file.
